Anyone who has stared at the price of steak lately and questioned every life choice may want to keep an eye on this one.
A proposed $7.99-million settlement has been reached in Canadian class actions alleging price-fixing tied to the sale of beef in Canada. The case involves claims that several major meatpacking companies participated in an unlawful conspiracy related to the supply and/or price of beef sold across the country.
The proposed settlements involve JBS USA Food Company, Swift Beef Company, JBS Packerland Inc., JBS Canada ULC, and National Beef Packing Company, LLC. JBS has agreed to pay $7,498,700, while National Beef has agreed to pay $495,000, bringing the total proposed settlement amount to $7,993,700.
The settlements are not an admission of liability, fault, or wrongdoing by JBS or National Beef, according to the official class action site. The class actions are also still ongoing against certain Cargill and Tyson defendants.
Who could be included?
The settlement could affect Canadians who purchased beef for personal use or resale after January 1, 2015, with some important exceptions.
According to the official settlement website, “beef” refers to the raw portion of cattle carcasses intended for human consumption, and does not include beef purchased from the food service industry, like restaurants. The class actions also exclude certain beef products, meaning items that contain beef as one ingredient among others, with some exceptions based on how the product was prepared.
The BC settlement class includes people in Canada, excluding the Quebec settlement class, who bought beef for resale or personal use between January 1, 2015 and the date the BC action is certified for settlement approval. The Quebec settlement class includes people who bought beef in Quebec during the same general period.
Basically, if you have bought grocery store beef in Canada at any point since 2015, this is probably worth knowing about. No, that does not mean you should start digging through decade-old receipts like you are solving a true crime case in your kitchen.
What happens next?
There is no claims process open just yet.
Because the class actions are still ongoing and more money could potentially be recovered, the settlement funds will not be distributed to class members at this time. A claims process is expected to be approved by the courts at a later date, with more notice to come when payments are actually on the table.
Settlement approval hearings are currently scheduled for September 10, 2026 in Vancouver and December 1, 2026 in Montreal. The courts will decide whether the settlements are fair, reasonable, and in the best interests of class members.
Canadians who do not want to participate in the class actions have until August 10, 2026 to opt out. Anyone who does nothing will remain part of the class actions and be bound by the results, including any approved settlements or future outcomes.
For now, there is nothing eligible Canadians need to do to claim cash. But considering the price of groceries lately, this is definitely one of those future-you might appreciate current-you paying attention situations. Learn more at https://www.beefclassaction.ca/.
